Rainy Day
by IanBuddy
Summary: This is a sappy romantic shortstory about Darien finding Serena out in a terrible storm. He takes her in and they discover their feelings for each other: in a clean romantic way, no echi stuff.
1. Chapter 1

_Author:_ IanBuddy

_Rating:_ PG-13

_Genre:_ Romance

_Disclaimer:_ I do not now nor ever will own Sailormoon, etc etc… This is done for fun not profit, so on and so forth.

_Description:_ Hey one and all, V-Chan (aka IanBuddy) is back. This is my attempt at a short story. I know it's long but compared to all my other stories this is short. Actually, this is one of my old stories so my writing might be kind of weird. But I hope you enjoy anyway. We have the usual characters Serena and Darien. This is another sappy, but clean, romantic story where Darien finds Serena out in a horrible storm. He gets her out of the rain and takes her back to his apartment. Somehow and someway they find love, right? Who knows, you have to read and see. Lots of love and kisses to my friends who keep me writing.

**Rainy Day**

Chapter 1:

_I'm so so late!_ thought the blonde meatball headed girl as she raced out her house towards the arcade. _Raye is going to kill me for being late. I hope they don't decide to leave without me._

The girl continued to run as fast as her legs could take her. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't hear her mother yelling after her.

"Serena! Serena…you forgot your coat and umbrella," Irene Tsukino yelled out to her daughter, who was now about a block away. The lavender haired woman shook her head sadly, "I swear, that girl would forget her head if it wasn't attached. Oh well, if it rains then she's gonna be out of luck."

Serena's mom then turned on her heel and headed back into the house.

_**xxxxxxxxxx**_

Out of breath, Serena slowed her pace to a brisk walk.

_Please please guys, don't leave without me._ Serena pleaded in her mind, hoping one of her friends was telepathic and heard her prayers.

She wasn't too worried though, by now her friends should expect her to be late. That was her life, a klutzy, ditzy, crybaby who was always running late. Heck, she'd probably even be late to her own funeral. But even with all her flaws her friends loved her anyway.

Serena was a very kind-hearted person whom everyone loved. She got along well with most people, except of course one particular overgrown, arrogant, bully of a man. Darien Chiba! Serena shivered slightly at the thought of him.

_I hope I don't run into him today. I'm already gonna have a rough time with Raye for being so late._

Everyday, like clockwork, she would be running late for school, and somehow or another she would constantly crash into that cold-hearted man. Of course he would say something insulting or make fun of her clumsiness instead of being a gentleman and apologizing for being in her way. Somehow he was the _only_ person she ever ran into, minus the trees, bushes and fire hydrants. Sometimes she wondered if he purposefully placed himself in front of her each morning just so he could tease her.

_Aagh, that jerk rubs me the wrong way. If he wasn't such a mean, cold-hearted jerk I might be a little bit attracted to him. It's a shame he's so darn cute, it makes it harder for me to fuss at him. **sigh** But I don't care how cut he is, he's still a first-class jerk!_

Suddenly a big thunderclap boomed overhead snapping Serena back into reality. _Oh great! I thought it wasn't suppose to storm until noon…that's two hours away._ she thought with frustration as she looked anxiously at her watch.

Serena then continued with her walk picking up the pace as she saw the dark threatening clouds moving towards her. _I hate thunderstorms…I hate them, I hate them, I hate them. Brrr…it's getting a bit chilly._ Serena frantically began rubbing her goose-bumped arms trying in vain to stay warm as the wind started to pick up. _Goodness, there is never a jacket around when I need one. **gasp** Oh no…my backpack…my jacket…my umbrella!_

She stopped walking and twirled around in circles desperately hoping that she had inadvertently dropped her things along the way rather than left them at home. The only thing she saw on her was a little black purse that she had draped over her shoulder.

_Oh great! Idiot, idiot…how could you leave your stuff? _ Serena berated herself. She was really beginning to feel the cold wind whisking through her clothes now. Because it was summer she had decided to wear something light, completely forgetting about the upcoming storm.

Since she and her friends were hanging out that day Serena had wanted to look her best just in case they picked up a few guys along the way. So she had selected a light pink tank top shirt, which barely came down to her belly button, and short jean shorts. She wanted the clothes to accent her curves nicely but not too much where she looked desperate. Serena knew her mom might have a few choice words about her out fit, so hence the reason for her speedy exit, of course forgetting her jacket, umbrella and overnight bag.

Serena stood there for a second and contemplated either returning home or continuing towards the arcade. _Well I'm already late, but if I go back home I'll really be late, and I'll probably have to change my clothes…only if mom doesn't kill me first. Right now that doesn't sound like a bad idea…I'm freezing. But I'm closer to the arcade than home, and those clouds seem to be getting darker each minute._

Suddenly a loud boom sounded overhead causing Serena to yelp in fear. _Well that made up my mind. Maybe if I run really fast I could get to the arcade before it starts raining._ So Serena took off in a mad dash towards the Crown Arcade.

_Maybe later tonight after the storm dies down we all can walk back to my house and pick up my stuff. Yeah…that sounds like a good idea._ Her spirits were beginning to lift up until a streak of lightning flashed brightly across the sky followed by a very loud BOOM. Serena about jumped out of her socks; she was so frightened.

Then, to her utter dismay, the rain began to pour down in a heavy stream. _Noooo! Why did it have to rain now?_ The rain was falling so hard and fast that each droplet felt like large pebbles pelting her expose skin. The lightening and thunder were coming so quickly that Serena was growing more scared and confused by the second. Visibility was decreasing so rapidly that Serena couldn't tell which direction the arcade was. _I'm so scared. Where is that arcade? Where are my friends? I'm gonna die out here, get struck by lightning and be burnt to a crisp. I want my mommy…waaah!_

Serena started to wail and screech every time the thunder crashed. From out of nowhere a car came driving by her awfully fast, and in the process sprayed her with the collected street water. If she wasn't wet before she certainly was now.

Serena was instantly overcome with immense fear and loneliness so she knelt down next to one of the trees decorating the sidewalk, wrapped her arms around her knees and began to rock back and forth. Through her tears she started to sing a lullaby her mom use to sing to her during thunderstorms when she was younger. She hoped and prayed the storm would end soon.

Other people ran right by the rocking meatball headed girl paying her no mind as they tried in desperation to get out the storm. _Someone please help me. I'm sooo scared. Someone…anyone…please._ the young girl pleaded in her mind.

_**xxxxxxxxxx**_

"Your total comes to 20 dollars and 56 cents sir," the red haired cashier told the gorgeous dark haired customer.

Darien took out his wallet and paid the bright-eyed girl, who kept sneaking little peaks at him the whole time she packed his groceries. Darien found it quite annoying when girls continuously flirted with him by fluttering their eyelashes, ogling, and giggling with their friends. Some brave souls actually had the nerve to come up and ask him out, from time to time. Darien wasn't one who wanted to break a girl's heart so he would kindly let them down gently. Besides, the only girl he was interested in was a certain blonde who donned meatball looking pigtails. No other girl could ever compare to his meatball head. It wasn't only because she was the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes upon with her long golden silky hair, and sparkling sapphire eyes; but she also had a wonderfully loving and caring spirit that would capture everyone's heart, including his.

_The lucky guy who ends up with that angel should never let her go, if he's smart._ Unfortunately Darien knew 'that guy' would never be him. The amount of times he teased her about her hair, grades, and klutziness Darien knew without a doubt she hated him. _But I'm gonna have to remedy that. Maybe if I start being nice to her she might actually start to fall in love with me…ha ha…fat chance! Well a guy can hope._

Since it was summer and school was out Darien hadn't seen as much of Serena as usual. He was beginning to experience Serena-withdrawal. _Oh how I miss my little meatball head. I wonder what she's up to right now? Probably hanging out with her friends._

His attention was instantly brought back to the present as the cashier handed him his change. "Thanks," Darien said flashing the girl with one of his sexy grins. He then picked up his bags of groceries and gave the shy little cashier a wink before leaving. He could hear the girl let out a soft sigh as he walked away.

As he was about to leave he noticed the heavy downpour outside. _Oh Great! I thought it was suppose to start raining around noon not 10. That's what I get for listening to those weather forecasters, they're as accurate as a blind man playing darts. Well thank goodness I was smart enough to bring my umbrella anyway, just in case._ So he stepped out into the horrendous storm walking at a brisk pace so he could hurry and get to the warmth and safety of his apartment.

While walking and dodging crazy people he suddenly spied a girl kneeling under a tree rocking back and forth. _Is that girl crazy? She's out in this storm without a jacket or umbrella, and underneath a tree of all places. Well I'm just about home, I don't have time to play prince charming right now._ He turned to walk away but his conscience wouldn't let him go. He looked back at the strange rain-soaked girl and his heart broke seeing her suffering so with no one stopping to help her. _Good grief Darien, you're such a softy. You never could resist a damsel in distress. Oh well…_ He sighed and then made his way over to the rain-soaked girl.

As he approached her he began to make out two round blonde balls on the top of her head. _No way…it can't be her. But I would know that hairstyle from anywhere._ Darien quickly closed the distance between him and the young woman, and as he got closer he knew without a doubt the frightened girl was indeed Serena.

He knelt down next to her making sure the umbrella was positioned over them both. It was then that he noticed she was crying. His heart about shattered as he saw his meatball head…his Serena looking so helpless, alone and afraid. Darien was at a lost of what to do, she didn't seem to notice he was there. All he could think of doing was pulling her into his arms and promising he would protect her forever while placing a million kisses along her face. But his own rational mind would not allow him to do it for fear of rejection. Instead he took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. Instantly Serena's head shot up with fear present in her red puffy eyes. She had definitely been crying. Darien couldn't get his brain to work as she looked up at him with big blue eyes that were filled with tears and…hope.

"Hey Meatball Head, why are you out here getting soaked?" he finally managed to say with a soft smile, hoping he could cheer her up even a little. It killed him to see her suffer so. _She doesn't deserve to suffer. She should be smiling and laughing with her friends, not sitting out here in a hurricane looking like a lost wet puppy._

Darien couldn't stop gazing into those beautiful frighten eyes when suddenly Serena threw herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck in a very tight hug.

"Help me Darien…please," he heard her whisper ever so softly in his ear. Darien didn't need to be asked twice. In one swift move he picked up Serena and proceeded to carry her rain soaked body the rest of the way to his apartment complex.

It was an incredible feat holding the umbrella, his bags of groceries and carrying Serena, but when push comes to shove the human body can do the impossible. Serena nestled her face into his chest, basking in his warmth as he whisked her away.

_**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**_

End of Chapter 1

I hope everyone liked it. This story will never be a short story, it's sooooo long. Maybe one day I'll finish it. I'm already almost done with chapter 2 so hopefully it will be out soon. I believe this story is only 3 chapters long. Remember, please be kind when you make comments. I'm very sensitive, and I'm only doing this for fun. Thank you to all my wonderful family and friends for encouraging me to keep writing. Luv you guys so much. God Bless!!

IanBuddy

Summer 2005

Revised February 12, 2007


	2. Chapter 2

Author: IanBuddy

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Romance

Disclaimer: I do not now nor ever will own Sailormoon, etc etc… This is done for fun not profit, so on and so forth.

Description: Ok you're back for the next part of my very looong short story. I'm glad you liked the first chapter. I have to admit that this chapter is long, and it might be a little boring, but it definitely is soaking in sap. Also, I have both Serena and Darien's thoughts happening, so I hope it's not too confusing. Please enjoy and remember this is a clean romance so keep your heads out the gutter. Lots of love and kisses to my friends who keep me writing.

x-x-x-x

**Rainy Day**

Chapter 2:

"Where is that girl!" yelled a very infuriated Raye.

The girls were all waiting in the Crown Arcade for Serena to show up. They had planned an all day outing first at the mall, then a movie, and finally wrapping up the day with a slumber party at Raye's. But, of course, the last person to arrive was Serena.

"I'm going to strangle that girl when her rear-end strolls through those doors. Why is she always late for everything?" Raye continued to rant.

"Raye calm down, she'll be here ok," Lita said trying to defuse Raye's hot temper.

"Yeah you know Serena," Mina added. "That girl would be late to her own funeral." That statement brought a round of giggles from the girls.

At that moment Andrew approached the table of giggling girls carrying a tray of food. "Hey girls…what's so funny?"

"Oh we're just laughing about Serena and how she's always late for everything," Lita answered the tall and sexy blonde waiter.

"Oh I see. That girl would probably be late for her own wedding," Andrew commented playfully, which brought on another round of laughter from the group. Andrew just smiled and shook his head at the silly and confusing girls. "Ok girls, I'll be back in a second to get your orders. Let me first go drop this food off."

After the laughter settled down Mina looked out the window and noticed the increase in intensity of the rain pouring down outside. "Boy that rain is really coming down hard."

"I sure hope Serena's ok out there," Amy commented with concern in her voice. "You know how frighten she gets during storms."

"Yeah, I hope she found shelter somewhere. It looks like a hurricane out there with all that wind and rain," Lita declared as she gazed out the window.

"Oh don't worry about her, Serena knows when to get out of the rain," Raye said flippantly, but inwardly she was very worried about her ditzy friend.

"I hope so, for her sake," Mina added.

"Hey girls, what's with the worried faces?" Andrew inquired as he returned to their table. "You were just laughing and having a great time a minute ago."

"We are just a little concerned about Serena," Amy answered.

"What's wrong with her?"

"Nothing…we hope," Mina put in. "We just hope she's not out in this horrible storm."

"Look I'm sure you have nothing to worry about," Andrew tried to console. "Serena is a bright girl. She's probably sitting in a nice warm place right now trying to wait out the storm."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Darien carefully opened the door to his apartment, trying his hardest not to drop his bags, and more importantly, not drop Serena. "We're here," he told her softly.

Serena opened her eyes and began to survey her surroundings. "Where are we?" she asked still slightly in a daze.

"My apartment."

"Oh," she stated matter-of-factly. "Ohhh," she squealed as reality donned on her. _Why in the world am I in Darien's apartment? Maybe what I should be asking myself is why am I in his arms? But I feel so warm here, I could lay like this forever…wha-what am I saying? This is Darien, my mortal enemy not my knight in shining armor._ Serena realized, feeling more and more uncomfortable the longer she stayed in his arms. _I've got to get out of this situation, pronto!_ So she started to wiggle nervously hoping Darien would get the hint and put her down.

"What are you doing Meatball Head?" Darien asked with confusion as he tried hard not to drop her or any of his bags. She wasn't exactly making it easy for him.

"I'm trying to get down. Will you please put me down?"

Darien stared at her in disbelief. One minute she was resting peacefully in his arms feeling protected, and the next freaking out and trying to get as far away from him as possible.

"Well…put me down," Serena stated again.

Darien chuckled, then an evil grin slowly materialized on his lips. "But Meatball Head, I just carried you over the threshold. Wouldn't you like for me to take you to the bedroom now so we can enjoy being…together?" he jested then bounced his eyebrows up and down to emphasize his point.

At that Serena's eyes grew really big. _What! He did not just say what I think he said._ she thought as her blood started to boil. "Darien Chiba, you put me down this instant. How dare you imply such a thing!" she screeched in his ear.

"Oook," Darien winced and shook his head trying to regain his hearing after that ear-shattering yell. "You don't have to make me go deaf with all your yelling Meatball Head…ouch."

"I'll do more than that if you don't put me down."

"Ok, ok. I was just playing around with you. But you need to stop wiggling though. I have a lot of stuff in my hands right now, so just give me a sec." Eventually, after what felt like an eternity to Serena, he set her on her feet. Immediately he missed the closeness of her body against his, and hoped he might be able to experience that feeling yet again. "There you go princess. You feel better now?" he asked sarcastically.

"Yes…thank you," Serena responded nicely.

Darien wasn't sure how to take her sudden mood swing, so he just smiled then grabbed his bags and proceeded into the kitchen. "Well come on in and make yourself at home. I just need to put these groceries away."

Serena ventured more into the apartment and took a look around. She walked into the living room and was surprised to see how large and spacious it was. _Wow! This place is awesome. It's so big, and so…clean. I knew Darien was Mr. Perfect but I didn't know he was that perfect._ Her eyes continued to scan the room. The place was beautiful, but definitely a bachelor pad with the black leather couch, a wall of books, and a huge entertainment center with enormous speakers. _Oh yeah, definitely a guy's place. What he needs is some feminine touches like a splash of color here and there, and maybe a few plants. Now what could I do to make this place look more lively and lived in. Hold up a second girl. I don't know where your thoughts are going but remember whose house you're in. Darien is your enemy, not your boyfriend…not that I want him to be my boyfriend…of course I don't…I don't even like him, and I know he hates me. But…if he hates me so much then why did he help me? Oh I don't know…AAGH! I need to think about something else besides Darien…anything._

"Hey Darien!"

"Yeah," he yelled back from the kitchen.

"Your place is…very nice."

"Thanks."

"H-how much would it cost to live in a place like this?" Serena asked just to make small talk.

Darien came out of the kitchen and walked straight towards her with a sexy but mischievous smile on his face. "Why? You planning on moving in Meatball Head?"

"Yeah you wish. And stop calling me Meatball Head. I do have a name you know," Serena fussed.

"Yeah Meatball Head," he teased.

"NO! Serena. Say it with me S-E-R-E-N-A," she pronounced very slowly.

"M-E-A-T-B-A-L-L H-E-A-D," he recited back making her face turn bright red in anger.

"Oh you are such a jerk Darien," she yelled and whacked him in the chest. Her action only caused him to laugh, which made her even more angry. "Humph…I'm leaving." Serena crossed her arms in front of her chest, pointed her nose in the air then turned on her heel and began to walk towards the door.

Darien quickly sobered up and grabbed her arm preventing her from leaving. "Hey Serena, come on…I was just having a little fun. No need to get all pissed off about a joke."

"Well I didn't find it funny at all," she said with a pout feeling hurt by his continuous teasing.

Darien gently pulled her back towards him so their bodies were only inches away from touching. He cupped her chin with his hand and lifted her face up so he could gaze into her beautiful ocean blue eyes. His fingers then started to lightly stroke the side of her face, which consequently sent shivers running down her already cold and wet body. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you Serena. I love…um cough…I mean, I would love for you to stay. I'm here to help, if you'll let me."

Darien wanted to punch himself for almost slipping up and telling Serena how he felt about her. _What is wrong with me? How could I almost say that? Thank goodness for my quick wit._

Serena couldn't move or speak. The only thing she could do was stare aimlessly into Darien's dark blue eyes. He was so close to her that she could feel his warmth radiating off of him. And his touch was so sensual she had to keep reminding herself to breathe. _He is so gorgeous. His eyes are so captivating, his voice so masculine, and his lips…oh his lips look so tempting. I wonder what it would be like to kiss those lips…wait, wait, hold up. What are you thinking? Get a hold of yourself girl._

Painfully Serena tore her eyes from his penetrating gaze and tried to remember his statement. _What was he saying again? He…uh…wants to help me…I think._ "Um…sure. You can help me I guess," she answered swallowing hard.

"Com'on stay. Besides, it's pouring outside, and it doesn't seem to be getting any better."

"Fine, I suppose I could stay since it is nasty out there. Alright I'll stay, but on one condition…stop calling me Meatball Head."

Darien groaned and scrunched up his face, "Oh alright, I'll try. But old habits die hard you know."

"**_Sigh_**, I guess that's the best I'm gonna get outta you."

Darien smiled a nice warm smile, and Serena couldn't help but smile back. Then he noticed the trail of water leading from the door to where she stood. "Good grief girl, you're tracking water all over the wood floor."

Serena gasped, "Oh no…I'm so sorry Darien. I wasn't thinking. Get me some towels and I'll clean it up."

"It's alright, don't worry about it. I'll clean it up in a minute. First things first, we've got to get you out of these clothes."

Serena's eyes instantly went wide in fear. She then took a big step back to put some distance between her and Darien. "You pervert!" she yelled as she wrapped his jacket tighter around her body.

"What!" Darien looked at her in confusion, but as realization of what she was thinking dawned on him he couldn't help but chuckle. "No, no, no…that's not what I meant."

"Oh," she said and let out a sigh of relief.

Darien wagged his finger at her, "You have a very dirty mind Serena Tsukino."

"Hey, you're the one who said it you jerk. How was I suppose to know you weren't being perverted after your earlier comments?"

"Ok, ok you do have a point," he relented. "What I meant to say was that you need to get out of those wet clothes before you catch your death."

"Ok, but…" she started to protest but he cut her off.

"I want you to go to my bathroom and remove your wet clothes. You can take a shower if you like, everything you need is in the linen closet," he said as he led her into his room where a master bathroom was attached. "I'll find some clothes for you to wear and put it on the bed. Just throw your wet clothes out and I'll stick them in the wash, ok?"

"Ok, that sounds good. But what about you? Your shirt is soaked."

Darien looked down at his dark blue shirt and for the first time noticed that he too was pretty wet. _I probably got wet carrying her in my arms. Oh well, I'll just change._ So he walked over to his closet to get a change of clothes. "Go ahead and get changed Serena. After you get out I'll make you some hot chocolate to help warm you up ok."

"Really!" Serena squealed in delight.

"Yeah, don't worry I'll take care of you," Darien said as he removed his wet shirt.

Serena's mouth instantly dropped open in shock and admiration when Darien's shirt came off. Never had she imagined he would look like that. _Wow! He is gorgeous. Who would have thought that wonderful body could belong to a mean conceited jerk like Darien._ She watched as his muscles flexed with his every move. His abs were perfectly sculpted and rippling very much like a washboard. His pecks were also very defined, as were his arms and back. He wasn't overly huge just nicely toned. All in all, he was a work of art.

Darien grabbed a dry shirt from his closet then turned around to see Serena wide-mouthed and drooling as her eyes roamed his body. _Maybe she approves of the way I look. I think I could have a little fun with this._ "So…do you like what you see?" he asked in a teasing tone.

Serena immediately snapped out of her trance and quickly looked away. Darien chuckled as her face began turning a bright red.

"I was just…uh…just…" she stammered, not knowing how she was going to get out of this one. _Good one Serena. Next time why don't you just rip off his clothes for him._

Darien steadily walked over to her. He stood very close to her as he leaned against the doorframe, loving the fact that she was uneasy with his proximity. He then lifted her chin with his finger so he could look into her eyes. "You were just what?" he asked in a soft deep voice.

Serena swallowed hard and began fiddling with her fingers nervously. _Oh my goodness! How is this guy making me feel this way? I know I have a slight crush on him…ok maybe more than that…but I'm usually very good at controlling my feelings towards him. Now all he has to do is take off his clothes, touch my face, or talk to me in that deep sexy voice and I turn to mush. No! I can't let it happen. I have to think of something and quick before I completely loose it._ "I was just…um…admiring your room. I can't believe how clean it is," she stated with as much confidence as she could muster, but didn't allow herself to make eye contact.

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yeah, I mean guys are usually very nasty, and keep their places junky and dirty…so I've heard."

Darien chuckled at Serena's desperate attempt to cover up her mistake. _Well let's see if I can unnerve her a little bit more._ He then leaned over a bit more, so their bodies were really close together, and whispered in her ear. "You seem to know an awful lot about guys rooms…why is that?"

Serena blushed profusely. "Uhh…I don't…I'm not that kind of person." She couldn't believe he would ask such an inappropriate question.

Darien smiled at the embarrassed girl and then decided to give her a break. "Why don't you go ahead and shower so you don't catch a cold."

Serena's heart felt as though it was beating a mile a minute with Darien being so close to her, and her face was still flaming red from embarrassment. _Actually a shower sounds perfect right now. I'm feeling a bit dirty, and I don't know why._ "Ok…I think I'll just do that," she whispered breathlessly as she backed away from him quickly and headed to the bathroom.

Darien stifled a laugh and began to put his dry shirt on.

Before entering Serena paused in mid step at the doorway of the bathroom and turned back around. "Hey Darien."

"Yeah."

She was silent for a moment as she thought about how she should phrase her statement. "Thanks…thank you for helping me."

"I am your humble servant mademoiselle," he said and bowed deeply.

Serena giggled and then proceeded into the bathroom.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Serena sat down on Darien's large queen size bed with her body and hair wrapped in towels. _That was such an awesome shower. Boy am I tired._ She then flopped back on the bed with her arms out to her sides.

The shower had done wonders for her muscles and had completely warmed her up. _How lucky I am to be saved by someone who has a wonderfully hot, massaging shower. I feel like I just came back from a spa._

She just laid there for a while staring at the ceiling when she heard a knock on the bedroom door. She immediately sat up and clutched the towel around her tightly. The last thing she wanted was for Darien to walk in and see parts of her hanging out.

"Hey Meat…I mean Serena, are you alright in there?" she heard his concerned voice through the door.

"Yeah! I'm just…um…getting dressed. I'll be out in a minute." Thankfully, to her relief, he did not try to enter the room.

"Alright, but hurry up so your hot chocolate doesn't get cold."

"Ok. I'll be there in a sec."

She heard his retreating steps and then realized she had been holding her breath the whole time. _Breathe Serena. It's not like he would've seen you naked, you do have a towel on. How awkward a situation that would be._ she sighed then began to put on the clothing Darien had set out on the bed for her. _There's no way I'm going to fit into these._ She held up a pair of dark blue sweatpants and a white T-shirt with red letters, which were the initials of the college he attended.

After getting dressed Serena checked out her reflection in the full-length mirror noting how baggy the clothes appeared on her. _Oh well, it's better than nothing._ But secretly she was enjoying the fact that she was wearing Darien's clothes, it made her feel safe and warm. _Now let me get out there before he has a cow._

As she went over to pick up her purse, wet clothes and towels, her communicator fell out her purse. She bent down to retrieve it and then thought about calling Raye and the others to let them know she was safe. Her friends were probably worried sick about her, but all she could think about was being around Darien. She punched the buttons to contact Raye. After a few seconds a very concerned and agitated raven-haired girl appeared on the screen.

"Serena! Where in the world are you? We have been trying to call you for the past hour," Raye bellowed through the communicator.

"Geez Raye, just blow out my eardrums why don't you," Serena responded as she cringed from the hotheaded girl's boisterous voice.

"Don't give me that you moron. Where have you been?" Raye repeated.

"Are you alright Serena?" Mina's face appeared on the screen as she pushed Raye aside.

"Yeah I'm fine."

"What happened to you? We were so worried. We know how much you hate thunderstorms," Lita said as she pushed Mina out the way.

"I'm sorry you guys. I didn't mean to worry you, but I had to get out of the storm."

"Understandably so Serena. This storm is absolutely horrendous, and was very poorly calculated by the weather…eek…" Amy started but was bumped aside as an irritated Raye got back on.

"Give me that. You guys have your own. Anyway, Serena where are you?"

"I'm…at a friend's house," Serena answered vaguely, trying not to let her friends know she was camping out at Darien's.

"Friend! What friend?" Raye asked curiously.

"Geez Raye, what's with the third degree? I have other friends besides you guys. Anyway, it doesn't matter. I just wanted to let you guys know that I was safe, that's all. I have to go now, but I'll call you back later when the storm starts to let up ok. Bye!" she said very quickly and clicked her communicator off to avoid being questioned further.

"Serena wait…" Raye began right before the screen went black.

_Great, now they're really gonna think I'm up to something. Oh well, the damage has been done. Let me get out there before Darien drinks my chocolate._ So she grabbed a towel and rewrapped it around her hair, picked up her purse and wet clothes, and left the room.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Darien was busily running around the kitchen trying to find a spatula. "Ah there it is," he said to himself as he located the wretched tool at the back of the drawer. He had wanted everything to be perfect for Serena, so he had decided to make some cookies for her as well. He knew Serena couldn't resist food of any kind, especially chocolate. _Three more minutes and then they'll be done. I wonder what's taking that meatball head so long to get dressed. Maybe she's trying to look extra good for me._ he thought with a smile.

Just as he was about to get lost in thought again, in walked Serena clothed in one of his shirts and sweatpants, and with a white towel wrapped around her head. _Wow! She looks…incredible in my clothes._ Darien thought impishly as he quickly reverted his eyes so she wouldn't see him drooling over her body.

"Mmm…what is that wonderfully delicious smell?" she asked as her eyes hastily scanned the kitchen looking for the source of the sweet aroma.

"That my dear is my homemade hot chocolate, and store-bought chocolate chip cookies," Darien answered, unable to suppress a smile.

Serena's eyes lit up with delight. _Oh what a wonderful wonderful man. He made cookies for me. I could just hug and kiss him all day…but I won't._ Instead she bounced around the kitchen happily searching for the cookies.

Darien couldn't help but laugh at the bubbly blonde. _I guess the best way to a woman's heart, especially my Meatball Head's, is through food._

"Where are the cookies Darien," Serena questioned impatiently.

"They're not done yet. You have to wait two more minutes."

Serena stuck out her bottom lip in a pout. Darien couldn't help but to laugh again. _She is so cute when she does that. Boy how I wish I could kiss those pouty lips…_ "Um…cough…why don't you go into the living room and make yourself comfortable Meatball Head. I'll bring in the cookies and cocoa in a minute."

"Ok!" Serena sang as she bounced out the kitchen towards the living room. Just as Darien turned back around to finish his cooking Serena stuck her head back in. "By the way, stop calling me Meatball Head!" she said firmly but without malice this time.

Darien noticed her change of tone, and he gave her one of his killer smiles. "Sorry about that. Bad habit…you know."

Serena smiled back then headed back into the living room.

He shook his head sadly. _How in the world am I going to get through this day with her. Either I'll have to ignore her and stay as far away as possible, or give in to my feelings._

Beep Beep The timer on the stove suddenly went off.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Serena once again inspected Darien's spacious living room. _He definitely has a nice place. And he certainly has good taste…boring, but nice._ Beep Beep She heard the timer go off in the kitchen. _Well at least the cookies are done._ she thought with a smile as she licked her lips in anticipation. She then placed her wet clothes on the coffee table and sat down on the leather couch. _What are we suppose to do now, sit here and stare at each other until the rain stops?_ She glanced out the window and realized the storm had not let up yet; actually it seemed to be getting worse. She let out a depressing sigh. As her eyes wondered around the room she instantly spied Darien's massive entertainment center and DVD collection. _Ooo…a movie sounds good._

"Hey, can we watch a movie?" she yelled.

"Sure," Darien yelled back from the kitchen.

Serena walked over to the shelves housing the vast collection of DVD's and began to rummage through them.

"Ouch! Stupid xoxo (and other choice words)," she heard Darien howl from the kitchen.

"You ok in there?"

"Yeah…I'm fine," he grumbled back.

Serena shrugged then turned back to the DVD's. _Horror…Action…Horror…Comedy…Action…ugh, what a horrible collection._ she thought with disgust. _He seems to have every horror and action movie ever made. No wonder he's so mean, look at his bad taste in movies._

At that moment Darien strolled into the room with two mugs of steaming hot chocolate. Serena's eyes lit up upon seeing the delicious chocolate drinks. "Ooo…thank you so much," she squealed as he handed her the mug.

"Careful it's very hot."

"Thanks. So are you ok, you didn't hurt yourself did you?"

"I just burned my hand on the cookie tray that's all. That stupid pot holder slipped."

Serena's face immediately turned from delight to concern. "Oh my goodness you poor thing…here let me see," she said as she quickly set her mug on the coffee table and grabbed Darien's hand to thoroughly examine it.

Darien couldn't help but to look on in shock. _I can't believe she's worried about me. That's what I love about her, her heart is always so big and caring that she probably doesn't realize it's me she's concerned about right now. But she's so beautiful and kind, how could I not love her._ He gazed down lovingly on her, who was intently checking out his hand.

Serena saw a small red mark on Darien's hand. _Oh poor thing! He burnt himself trying to make special yummy delicious chocolate chip cookies for ME. I feel so awful, even though it is Darien._ She then looked up from his hand and noticed him staring at her with a strange look in his eyes. At that moment she realized how close they were standing to each other.

All of a sudden she felt her heart skip a beat and her stomach began to do flip-flops. His eyes were so blue and intense she couldn't revert her gaze. _What are all these feelings I'm having? I've had crushes on other guys before and never felt this way. Could I be feeling something more? No…impossible. Darien's always so mean to me, calling me names and making fun of my grades. He is such a jerk and so…so handsome. I could gaze into his eyes forever. He's so close, it wouldn't take but a quick motion to hiss him._

"Don't worry so much over my hand Meatball Head. It looks worse than it feels," Darien stated softly, disrupting her brazen thoughts.

She quickly looked away as her cheeks reddened from embarrassment. Then, to his surprise, she brought his hand up to her lips and placed a very tender kiss upon the injurious spot. "There, all better," she stated, then released his hand and picked up her mug from the coffee table. _I can't believe I just did that. Have I completely gone mad?_ she fussed at herself as she made her way back over to the DVD collection.

"You have quite a collection here Darien," she said breaking the awkward silence.

Darien didn't know what to say because he was still trying to recover from her loving gesture. "Huh…oh uh…thanks," he babbled. His hand still tingled from where her lips had touched. He definitely didn't want that feeling to go away.

"Too bad it's all horror and action movies. I mean how many _Nightmare on Elm Street's_ and _Friday the 13th's_ do you need," she complained.

He smiled and walked over to where she stood making sure to stand as close as possible to her without making contact. "It's better to have the whole set than just one or two individual movies."

Serena definitely noticed the intimate closeness and tried real hard to act as normal as possible.

"Besides, girls like horror movies. It gives them a reason to throw their arms around their boyfriends and get all close and cuddly…and other things," he said with a devious smile.

Serena's face fell, "So that's your game huh? You're just a regular playboy. I should have known."

Darien furrowed his brows in confusion. _Does she think I bring girls up here often and make out with them? She seems so disappointed and…heartbroken?_ "Look Serena, I was kidding. I was just stating a fact not talking about my life."

She looked back up at him unsure whether or not to believe him. _How could I fall for such a woman-loving playboy? He probably has a different beautiful girl up here every week. I mean why wouldn't he have girls draped all over him, he's gorgeous, any girl with half a mind could see that. Obviously I'm not that special._

When she didn't respond he felt as though he had to convince her that he was an upstanding guy. "Com'on I not that kind of guy really. You do believe me, right?"

"Um…I don't know. I'm under the impression that you change girlfriends as often as you do your briefs. So maybe you do use your horror movies to get girls to throw themselves on you. Not that you need help or anything," she said the last statement under her breath.

The only thing Darien could do was laugh. "You have a very interesting mind Meat…Serena."

"Thank you…I think."

"But you're right though Serena. I do change girlfriends as much as I change my briefs," he replied mischievously.

Serena's heart felt as if it were breaking in two. She wasn't being serious with that comment, and she certainly never expected him to admit to such a thing. "I see…" was the only thing she could say.

Darien chuckled again as he lifted her chin up with his hand to gaze into her eyes. "Serena, I don't wear briefs. Hence, I don't have any girlfriends to switch between," he stated with a gleam in his eyes and a sexy smirk on his face.

She looked back at him confused. "You don't wear underwear! Then you're naked under your…gulp…pants?" As soon as the words came out her face immediately became bright red.

Darien couldn't contain his laughter anymore. He was laughing so hard he had to set his mug down so as not to spill his drink.

Serena's embarrassment was slowly turning to anger as he continued to laugh. _What is his problem? What I said wasn't that funny._ "Did I say something that amused you Darien?" she spat bitterly.

Darien gradually calmed down as he noticed Serena's rising fury. "Sorry…it was just the look on your face…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have laughed so hard."

"Figures! You just can't help being nasty to me, can you?" she retorted feeling hurt by his merriment.

"Hey, I said I was sorry, and I meant it. I was only trying to lighten the mood a bit. I honestly wasn't meaning to be nasty," he said, noticing the wounded expression on her face. He then reached out and lightly stroked the side of her face. "The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you Serena. Forgive me?"

She looked up into those gorgeous blue eyes and the adorable puppy-dog face he was making and knew she couldn't stay mad at him. "I guess so," she said pretending that it would be a hard thing to do.

He smiled brightly at her, and she couldn't help but to smile back.

"So, um…do you have any Romance movies?" she asked trying to break the sexual tension between them.

Darien raised his eyebrows in surprise, "No! Do I look like a girl to you?"

"Well I was just asking. I honestly don't feel in the mood to watch a horror flick so I can jump into your arms and cuddle."

Darien smiled with a hint of mischief at her comment. _I wouldn't mind that at all._

She then turned around and went back to searching through the DVD's. She knew all too well what was going through his mind at that moment, and for the sake of her sanity she did not want to encourage that line of thinking.

Darien chuckled again then went over and picked up her wet clothes to go put into the wash.

_Ok, what would be a good movie to watch? 'Night of the Living Dead'…yuck! 'Rambo'…I don't think so! Even though Sylvester Stallone looks incredibly hot in that movie._ She was about to give up when she spied a movie pushed to the back of the shelf. _Well, well, well…what do we have here?_ She gasped in surprise after she pulled the movie out of its hiding spot. "'When Harry Met Sally'…oh my goodness! This is one of my favorite movies of all time," she said excitedly as she jumped up and down holding the movie against her chest lovingly. "How lucky I am…hee hee." Serena began dancing the Cha-Cha around the room and humming with glee.

At that moment Darien strolled back into the room with a plate full of cookies in his hand. He almost burst out laughing as he saw Serena shaking her hips to nonexistent music. _What in the world is that girl doing? I leave for a minute and she's acting as though she's lost her mind._

When Serena turned around she noticed Darien staring at her with laughter in his eyes and a big grin on his lips. She reddened slightly at the fact that he caught her doing her celebration dance. But she instantly sobered up as her eyes feasted on the plate of cookies he held in his hand. "Cookies," she squealed in delight and in a split second was right by his side grabbing two of the delicious morsels.

"Slow down Meatball Head," he chuckled. "There's plenty more left, but you don't want to finish them off before we get the movie started."

She scowled at him, and with a mouthful of cookies stuck out her tongue.

Darien laughed and shook his head at the strange girl. "So, what got you so excited causing you to dance around my living room like that?"

Serena was enjoying her cookies so much she had completely forgotten about the movie she was holding. "Oh you are not going to believe this, but I found the perfect movie to watch," she squealed with glee.

"Great, what is it?"

"It was kind of hard to find since _someone_ tossed it to the back of the shelf so I wouldn't be able to find it. But unfortunately for you, and lucky for me, I found it. And you said you didn't own any Romance movies."

Darien eyebrows raised in confusion. _What is she rambling about? I don't have any Romantic movies._ He was starting to feel a bit uneasy as Serena dillydallied about dancing and waving the movie in the air. "Just tell me what movie you found Meatball Head."

"It's only one of my favorite Romantic movies ever…and don't call me Meatball Head!"

"Good grief, what is it?" he fussed.

She turned the DVD around so he could see it.

_'When Harry Met Sally'…how did that get in there? That's not mine…oh wait, I think it is._ he thought depressingly. But when he looked up and saw complete joy and happiness on Serena's face he knew he could not deny her the movie, no matter how much he disliked that genre.

"Can we watch this Darien…pretty please…" she requested with a cute little smile and adorable puppy-dog eyes.

Darien smiled at her cute display of begging. "Anything you want Serena as long as you're happy," he said sincerely.

"Yes! Thanks Darien. You know you can be a really sweet guy when you're not constantly teasing me." She then walked over to put the DVD into the player as Darien took a seat on the couch. "I like this side of you," she said softly more to herself than to Darien.

But he heard her last comment and was instantly overwhelmed with joy. _Alright! She likes me. Well it's a start. Now all I have to do is turn on my charm and then…the cat is in the bag._

She pressed play and then sat down on the couch with him, making sure to sit as far away as possible. She did not want Darien thinking she liked him, because he would probably tease her forever. "So…" she began as they waited for all the previews to end. "How is it that you have this movie since you are so 'Anti-Romantic'?

Darien rolled his eyes at her question. "First of all Meatball Head, this was a gift from Andrew's mom. And second, I'm not 'Anti-Romantic'."

"Sure you're not," she responded sarcastically. "And stop calling me Meatball Head."

Darien shook his head at the exasperating girl. "Just because I don't like Romance movies doesn't mean I'm not a romantic guy."

"Uh huh," she murmured unbelievingly. "I'll believe it when I see it."

"Look, if I wanted to be romantic, like to you, then I would…I would first start off by giving you ahh…a dozen roses, and then take you out to the best restaurant in town," he said as he gazed tenderly at her. "I would order the finest wine and let you order anything you wanted, no matter the cost." Darien couldn't help but smile at that statement, he knew all too well how much food Serena could consume in one sitting.

Serena too had to smile, she loved the fact that he would go to such great lengths to be romantic. No guy in his right mind should ever let her eat all the food she wanted; he would go broke. "I hope you have a large bank account. You're definitely asking for trouble by letting me eat whatever I want," she commented with a sly smile.

Darien continued to smile lovingly at her, "You're worth every penny. You deserve way more than that. I would give you the moon if I could."

Serena could only stare at him open-mouthed. No one had ever said anything so sweet to her before. _Wow, how wonderful and…romantic._

"After the hearty dinner," Darien continued with a smile, knowing he was romancing the socks off her, "I would drive you home, walk you to your door, and then give you a long sweet goodnight kiss." He then reached out and grasped her hand and placed a soft feathery kiss on the back of it. Not once did his deep intense gaze waiver from her baby blues.

Serena's heart stopped instantly. She couldn't believe how sweet and sensual he was being, and it was directed AT HER. She started to feel light-headed and billions of butterflies were dancing around in her stomach. The spot where his lips had touched her hand was on fire and tingled from the feel of his warm breath. She was trapped in his penetrating gaze and could not for the life of her look away. _Oh my…I think I might be falling in love with him. Is that even possible? He's being so sweet and charming, and of course he's drop-dead gorgeous. His eyes are so blue I could stare into them forever…_

Somehow Darien had maneuvered himself closer to Serena so they were only a few inches away. "I can be very romantic…if you let me," he said in his deep sexy voice as his hand moved up to trace a tender line down the side of her face. His other hand was still holding onto hers, and his thumb was making light circular motions around the spot his lips had caressed before.

His face had gradually moved closer to hers that she could feel his warm breath tickling her cheek. "You are so beautiful. You have no idea what you do to me," he softly whispered in her ear.

Her body shivered slightly from his sensual words, she thought she might faint. Never in her wildest dreams did she think her mortal enemy could cause her to lose all control over her body and emotions.

Darien smiled, he could feel the tremors running through her as well as hear her ragged breathing. _I've got her now. I knew she wouldn't be able to resist me once I poured on the charm. Goodness she is beautiful…even with that turban on her head. Her skin feels so smooth and soft. Her lips are full and pouty…and just waiting to be kissed._ He then gently clasped her face in both his hands and titled her head up to face him.

Serena's heart was beating so rapidly it felt as though it would burst from her chest. As their eyes met Serena knew without a doubt she was in love with this handsome, suave man. The realization of that scared her. _I'm in love with Darien, wow! Oh my goodness…he's going to kiss me. But I want him to kiss me…I want him…but, I'm afraid. I've never been kissed before. What if he thinks I'm a horrible kisser? That would be so mortifying. What am I to do?_

Darien stared into Serena's sparkling blues as his thumbs soothingly caressed her cheeks. He wanted her, he wanted to kiss those luscious lips all night long and tell her how much he loved her. But as he gazed longingly upon her face he saw a range of emotions pass through her eyes. To his surprise the last emotion he saw was one of fear. _Fear! Why would she be afraid of me? Doesn't she know I would never hurt her, and would forever love and protect her? Of course not you dope! She probably hates you. You haven't given her any reason to trust you…well that's about to change._ He gave her a sweet smile. As her eyes closed and lips puckered in anticipation, Darien leaned down and placed a light feathery kiss upon her forehead.

Serena's eyes instantly snapped open. A kiss on the forehead was the last thing she had expected. _What in the world just happened? Why didn't he kiss me? He just said all those wonderful romantic things but…he couldn't bring himself to do it…how horrible._ She couldn't help the feelings of disappointment and despair from entering her thoughts.

"Now, was that romantic enough for you?" Darien commented, his hands lightly caressing her just before he lowered them from her face.

Serena could sense the beginning of tears forming under her lids as reality kicked in. _Serena how could you be so naïve and dumb. This is Darien you're talking about. He doesn't love you…he was just trying to prove how 'romantic' he could be. Stupid, stupid!_ She ripped her eyes from Darien's strong gaze and stared at her lap. She was determined not to humiliate herself further by crying in front of him.

Darien noticed the tears in her eyes and he silently berated himself for causing her pain. So he gently slipped his finger under her chin and slowly raised her head up so he could look into her wet eyes. "Serena darling, I'm so sorry. I-I didn't mean to hurt you," he said as he wiped away an escaped tear from her cheek.

Serena was shocked at Darien's tenderness. _Maybe he actually does care for me._ she thought with hope in her heart. But she quickly dispelled that line of thought. _No, no. Don't be stupid Serena. 'He' is the reason why you are crying in the first place. Be strong, and don't humiliate yourself further. _ So she took a deep breath and began to frantically wipe her eyes as she scooted as far away from him as possible. "I don't know why you're apologizing Darien, you didn't hurt my feelings," she stated with as much gusto as she could muster. She definitely did not want him to think that he had any type of control over her.

"I was apologizing because I…"

"Just forget about it ok. You didn't do anything so let's just forget it," she stated more firmly. "It wasn't a big deal, you were just proving your point, and I got it…you can be very romantic without watching romance movies."

"If it's no big deal then why are you crying?"

"I'm not crying I just…uh…got an eyelash…yeah, that's right, I got an eyelash in my eye…nuthin' more." She crossed her fingers and hoped that he would buy her lame excuse.

He continued to stare at her not believing a word that came out of her mouth.

_Uh great…I know that look. He's definitely not falling for my crappy excuse. What should I do now…hmm._

"Serena," he started but was instantly cut off.

"Oh look Darien, the previews are done. You can press play now and start the movie," she exclaimed as her eyes pleaded with him to move on. _Please just drop it, please. I feel like such a dork right now and I want to forget the whole thing._

Darien saw the hint in her eyes so he reluctantly retreated back to his corner of the couch to retrieve the remote, chuckling to himself and shaking his head the whole time.

As he moved away Serena was finally able to let out her breath, not realizing she was depriving her body of oxygen the whole time.

"Ok Meatball Head, enjoy your movie," he said as he pressed play.

As the movie played Serena unwrapped the towel from her head and began the long tedious process of brushing out the wet tangled mess.

Darien couldn't help but sneak little peaks out the corner of his eye at his pretty bunny. _She is so beautiful sitting there captivated by the movie. How I would love to run my fingers through those soft golden locks. I bet it smells like lavender…she always smells like that when I'm lucky enough to get close to her. There's no doubt in my mind that she wants me, I just need to find a way to get her to admit it. So I need to take it slow so as not to scare her away._

"Stupid wretched knot, aagh!" Serena yelled as she struggled to detangle a stubborn knot in her hair.

Darien chuckled at the scene she was making. Her eyes were in deep concentration on that part of her hair while her tongue hung out the side of her mouth with her teeth biting down to hold it in place. He remembered seeing this look on her whenever she was at the arcade playing the Sailor V video game.

"Darien you are so lucky you have short hair," she commented, still trying to untangle the pesky knot.

"I am?"

"Yeah, you don't have to deal with these stupid knots everyday…there, I got. Yeah!" she exclaimed as she held up two fingers in a 'V' sign declaring victory.

He smiled at the meatball (-less) headed girl.

"Hey Darien, do you mind if I stretch out my legs on the couch? If I sit on them any longer my feet are going to fall asleep, and I can't stand that feeling."

"Sure no problem," he said with a smile.

As she stretched out her legs she couldn't help but hit Darien's leg. _Oh great, he's not sitting far enough away for me to completely stretch out without my feet touching him. What am I to do? Every time we make contact I get all jello-y inside._ As she looked up at Darien's smirking face she could tell that he was enjoying her little dilemma. _Of course he would be amused, that punk. Well I'm not going to give him the satisfaction of…_

But before she could finish her thought, Darien had grabbed her feet and placed them on his lap. Serena was in shock, she never expected this gesture from him. Touching him was one thing but putting her feet or anything else blush on his lap was unthinkable. So she did what any self-respecting girl in her position would do, she hurriedly tried to remove her feet from his person; but to no avail. She noticed that he still had a firm hold of her ankles.

"Serena please don't jerk your feet like that, someone could get hurt," Darien said as he winked at her.

"Then let go," she responded, not at all amused by his actions.

"It's ok, I don't mind you resting your feet on my lap. I just want you to be comfortable."

"Comfortable?! There is no way I'm going to be comfortable with my feet in your lap," she shrieked.

"Why not?"

"Mainly because I'm too close to a certain…region…and the only means of separation is a thin piece of cloth."

He gave her a confused look.

Serena sighed, _Out of all the times he teases me about being slow he sure isn't proving himself to be any better._ "All I'm saying is that since you don't wear briefs the only thing between my feet and…coughblush…your manly area, are your jeans."

Darien couldn't hold back any longer, he just burst out laughing as she continued to grow deeper shades of red.

"Darien please stop laughing at me. It wasn't that funny, besides, you know what I was trying to say," she begged, not daring to look at him for fear of her face actually turning into an apple.

"Sere…" he choked out between fits of laughter. "Give me a second while I catch my breath."

Serena crossed her arms and glared at him while he struggled to compose himself. "Feel better now!" she stated with venom.

"Yeah thanks. I can't believe you're still having issues over my underclothes."

"Well you're the one who said you didn't wear any underwear. I'm just trying to deal with that," she said defensively.

"No, I said I didn't wear briefs. But if you must know Ms. Nosey, I do wear boxers," he said with an impish grin.

"Oh." Amazingly her face was able to turn even redder. _How embarrassing. I am such am idiot. Why in the world am I talking about his underwear? He must really think I'm the most immature person he's ever met. Way to go Serena._

"Just relax Serena and watch the movie. I really don't mind your feet on me."

"T-thanks," she stuttered weakly, trying to sound as mature as possible and not like a little kid who gets squeamish over touching a boy. But her body immediately tensed up when she felt his hands begin massaging her feet. She tried her hardest to keep her cool. She really didn't want him to think that she couldn't handle being around mature guys, and that she was nothing but a whiny immature crybaby. After a while she finally began to relax. _Wow, this massage feels great. It's so…soothing and relaxing. Darien seems to be full of surprises today. Who would have thought this crude, arrogant man could be so gentle with his hands. I wonder what it would feel like if he gave me a full-body massage…blush…um, maybe not._ She quickly dismissed the image of Darien's hands on her as she brought her attention back to the movie.

A bit into the movie, Serena couldn't help but let out a few contented sighs. Darien smiled at her, enjoying the fact that she was so into the movie and wasn't bothered anymore with him massaging her feet. But for the life of him he couldn't figure out what in the movie was so romantic that she had to sigh.

"What are you sighing over now Meatball Head?"

"It's sooooo romantic," Serena cooed, not noticing that Darien had used her hated nickname.

"I don't see anything that resembles romance so far."

"Oh Darien, you can be so blind at times," she declared as she rolled her eyes at his lack of romanticism. "Can't you see that they're beginning to form a relationship?"

"Yeah, but so what. It looks to me that they can't stand each other."

"That's the point," she clarified. "First they start off hating each other, then years later they meet up again and kind of hit it off. Then they become best friends, and finally they fall in love. Now if that's not romance then I don't know what is."

Darien had to chuckle a little at Serena's idealistic heart. He then realized that he could have fun with this. "So Meatball Head, are you trying to say that the best person to fall in love with is your enemy?" he inquired with a mischievous smirk tugging on his lips.

Serena definitely picked up the hint in his statement and immediately began to blush profusely. "Well…um…I'm not exactly saying that. I mean this is a movie after all. In the movies anything can happen, but real life is not so easy," she said quickly as she avoided his eyes.

"Why would it be so hard?" he persisted.

"Because…" she started feeling at a lost for words.

"Because what?"

_Oh why does he keep doing this to me? It's like he really enjoys making me uncomfortable._ "Because life is not that romantic. That's why we have romance movies, to fulfill our hopes and dreams," she answered with sincerity as she finally made eye contact with him.

Darien gazed deeply into her sad blue eyes. He did not believe what she said was true, and he knew from the look in her eyes that she did not truly believe it either. "So tell me Serena, do you believe there is no way we could ever become friends?" he asked gently, his eyes never wavering from hers.

"No Darien, that's not what I meant," she quickly responded. _Great, now look what I've done. He's been so kind to me today by saving me from the storm, making me cookies, and helping me to feel comfortable in his house. And what do I do…I basically slap him in the face. Maybe he had been doing all this because he wanted to be friends with me…maybe. Whatever the case is, I have to at least give him hope. I don't mind being friends with him…more would be better, but I won't press my luck._ "I do want to be friends with you Darien. It's just that…well, I always thought you hated me and didn't want to be my friend."

"I could never hate you Serena. I lov…cough…um, I love the fact you want to be friends," he responded with a soft smile. _I can't believe you almost said the 'L' word…AGAIN!_ he berated himself. _Alright just relax and take control of your emotions. She's starting to soften and you don't want to scare her off by your declaration of love._

Serena thought she almost heard him say he loved her, but then figured her imagination was just being overzealous. "I've always wanted to be friends with you Darien. I guess I could be wrong, maybe in life enemies can become friends…maybe even best friends," she said with a dazzling smile.

Then Darien's eyes grew bright and a sinister smile danced on his lips. "So does that mean we will fall madly in love with each other as well?"

"Don't press your luck buster," Serena said giggling, but her insides were tingling like crazy. Her heart began to beat erratically while her stomach flip-flopped like being on a roller coaster. She could not believe a little comment like that would make her body react so wildly. So she turned her attention back to the movie so as not to think about his striking blue eyes, his thick ebony hair, his luscious lips, or any other sexy feature about him.

As the movie progressed Darien could not stop taking more sneak peaks at his sweet bunny. _She's so beautiful. I wish time would stop and we could stay like this all day. She's so cute when she's engrossed in a movie. She must really be enjoying it because she has the same expression on her face as she does when she's eating. chuckle_

About half way into the movie Serena noticed it was getting close to a certain scene which she desperately wanted to avoid watching. She glanced over at Darien and saw that he seemed to be enjoying the movie. _He looks so handsome sitting there. I never thought I would one day be sitting in the house of my arch-nemesis having a good time. I still can't believe he wants to be friends with me, me out of all people. Today must be my lucky day. But it's about to be an embarrassing one if I don't fast forward through this part of the movie. _

"Um Darien," she started while clearing her throat.

"Yeah."

"Would you mind passing me the remote please?"

Darien gave her a curious look, "Why do you want the remote?"

"Oh no reason," she giggled nervously. "I just wanted to skip this part in the movie that's all…no big deal."

Darien was now even more confused. _Why does she want to skip a scene in the movie? I thought this was one of her 'favorite movies of all time'. I bet something's about to happen that will be embarrassing for her to watch with me. By seeing the route this show is taking I can probably successfully guess where it's heading. Yup, I believe I've seen this part before…who hasn't, this scene is famous. I have no idea she was so prudish. _ That last thought caused a wicked smile to spread on his lips.

"So can I have it please?" she asked with more urgency in her voice.

Darien turned his impish smile towards her, "No I think I'll just hold onto it for now. I'm really starting to get into this movie."

Immediately her face fell. She couldn't believe that he was dropping his nice friendly act to bring back his arrogant jerk one, especially at a time like this. "Darien give me the remote," she said forcefully with her hand outstretched.

"No," he replied coolly with that annoying smirk still plastered on his face.

Serena's patience was quickly starting to dwindle as she waited for the remote. _Why is he doing this, now out of all times? Can't he see that I'm uncomfortable with this upcoming scene…wait a minute, of course he knows, that's why he's playing around. Well he doesn't know who he's dealing with. If he wants to play hardball then I can play harder._

"Darien," she said firmly.

"Yes Meatball Head."

She narrowed her eyes at him. _Control, I must learn control._ "Darien this is the last time I'll ask you for the remote. It would be in your best interest to comply."

Darien turned completely around to face her head on. He then leaned over slightly and with a huge smile still on his face he taunted her. "Or else what?"

Serena stared back at him unmoving; she knew he was going to challenge her. _Oh well, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do._ So calmly she rolled up her sleeves, and then did the only thing she could do at that moment…she pounced on him.

Darien was instantly taken by surprise by her brazen actions, but he quickly recovered from his shocked state.

Serena screeched like a banshee as she wrestled on the couch over the remote.

Darien laughed heartily as he skillfully evaded her hungry and desperate grasps.

She knew she was not getting anywhere with that method of attack, he was just too fast for her. _Alright, time for Plan B!_

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

End Chapter 2

Wow that took a while :**_whew_**: I hope everyone liked this chapter. I know it was a bit long and dramatic, but that was my plan. I was going for romantic, but I think it might have gotten too sappy. :**_drip_**::**_drip_**: Please, if you like it, please let me know. Good reviews are always wonderful and refreshing. All I want is to give people something interesting to read. Thank you to all the wonderful people who had giving such nice reviews on the first chapter. You guys and gals are great. With lots of encouragement I will try harder to get the rest of the story out in a timely manner. Thanks again everyone, and God Bless!!

IanBuddy

Revised April 2007


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